Are Dubai International The New Owners?

This morning on TalkSport Max Clifford blurted out that West Ham will have been sold by the end of this week. I hesitate to even mention Clifford as I regard him as the equivalent of a boil on a verruca. However, I have been told that the new owners are none other than the Dubai International Group, who had previously been linked with Liverpool. Rumour is that they pumped money into the club before the close of the transfer window which enabled us to spend part of the Bellamy money on Savio.

I have no idea how true this is. It didn’t come from within the club, and may be wishful thinking. In the past I have heard rumours, haven’t posted them and then bitterly regretted it when they turned out to be true.

Let’s hope this one has some semblance of truth to it. They are serious people. They also own Madam Tussauds and Travelodge, as well as 3% of Sony!

If it is true, you’d have to ask why on earth Zola would want to leave us, beyond the emotional pull of Chelsea.

Also not sure about the relevance of Madame Tassauds, Travelodge and Sony unless it refers to that dummy LBM sleeping off hours of gaming on his Playstation…

Would we really welcome an Arab takeover from a pseudo democracy dahn the Boleyn? I’m still hoping for a Ray Winstone/Iron Maiden buy out, but then I’m a hopeless romantic who still goes on about jumpers for goalposts.

Money don’t stink. Anyone willing to create a very competetive club is welcome. But they must understand that our team have a strong link with the territory. And our future must be a mix between our great Academy and top brit and foreign players.

I have only just heard about this takeover… Has this been around for a while? How have I missed it haha? ALSO – Is it almost a certain that we’re going to be sold? I thought all that had died off. Let’s hope it’s all for the best and we don’t become the next Man City. I am getting more and more worried about ‘Franco though. I hope it’s all just paper talk – he’s been so good, we need to keep hold of him and Clarke.

I remember thinking than an Icelandic banking billionaire sounds pretty solid and would be good for the club. There’s no doubt that we would be attractive to an investor – the best fans, an improving team, a brilliant youth set up and something money cannot buy, footballing heritage and reputation. Personally, I don’t mind if DIG buys us as long as they provide the stability we need after the helter-skelter ride of the last few years.

Until I see otherwise, I’m also going to continue believing that GZ is a man of honour and will not walk away from Upton Park, at least until he has made his mark. Besides, managing an ageing Chelski dominated by senior player power is a dumb move and GZ is smarter than that. I hope.

I honestly think zola has too much pride to leave after what hes created and managed to keep hold of. This is however a very intresting test to see if the prem is 100% greed and 0% pride/loyalty. Because if someone like zola could go and do the dirty like harry then anyone would.

surely no true Hammers fan can want this. yes it ensures the financial future of the club, but then it is run by people with no regard for the identity of the club, and man city, it would be run according to their ambitions and not about keeping an english team, producing our own young players, etc.

with DIC in charge of west ham, the club we all love could grow unrecognisable from what we knew

sure we all want success, but we also need to maintain who West Ham are, and what makes us different, our identity

at least the present board have made efforts to achieve this, and so no true Hammer would want us to be in the hands of someone like DIC

If the Joorabchian thing is true then I fear for our club. I fear for the academy and its players. I fear for our traditions. I fear the first team will become overrun with overpaid mercenaries who couldn’t care where they play as long as they get their 100K pr week.

Let’s hope BG sticks by his word and only sells to someone who’ll keep all the good things about the club in place.

Ona separate note I saw something funny on saturday … Terry Brown turned up out the front & a couple of years ago he would have been mobbed. However Calum Best & shane Ritchie were outside & Terry walked around seemingly waiting for someone to recognise him … but no-one did !!! he then walked in un-noticed,

Lets hope if it is true that someone has bought us, that the great work done by Zola is not brushed aside. Our club must not become a rich persons plaything and needs to keep to its principals of promoting youth.

Ian If you look back over 2 weeks ago i posted this on the site, I was told they have paid some money up front and was told they will complete the deal in the summer,however i have been told a deal could complete within 2 weeks.

Goatygav, I agree about the Kia thing (couldn’t be bothered to try and spell his sur-name!) lol! If he takes over in any way at all, it will be bad for the club! BUT…….

Unfortunately football is all about money nowadays and if we want to compete with the best in the world and head for Europe we can’t rely solely on tradition! We will need someone with money to be able to sign the big names and make the club more attrctive to top players!

It’s not what I want but unfortunately it’s the way it will have to be if we want to compete!

Appreciate what you’re saying Matt but if it was between Champions League football and sticking to our roots I choose the latter. It’s a hard thing to say when we haven’t won anything for twenty eight and a half years, I know, but that’s how I feel about our club. I’m proud of our tradition and history as well as the players that come through Tony Carr’s academy. Many of whom will be turning out for England at the next World Cup.

If the money to buy Savio etc came from DIG is that a bad thing??? We’ve needed investment for years…they have in place a sound management team and can’t see them letting Zola/Clarke go.
Maybe they were DIG’s choice as an incentive to the current board…to show that they mean busines!! We were all shocked that we (current regime) appointed zola after all.

And now all we need is for someone (zola?) to come out tonight and make a firm statement on his position.

Iain, I very much admire this Blog and your political blog, albeit I don’t share your political views. But I must take objection to your comments about Max Clifford. Although I don’t know him personally he is a friend of a family member. Max has had a lot of personal sadness of late and was very kind to another family member of mine who was very ill. He also, much to my surprise, cares greatly about those he represents. As for the rumour, well he does have great contacts!

I’m moving to Dubai in a few weeks, I’d love this to be true. Would instantly make me feel more at home! Only one prob, Dubai aren’t that far behind Iceland in the ‘credit crunch has fooked us’ league table…

Someone who’s livelihood is derived from other peoples misery/misfortune is ‘probably’ not the best person to do business with, & as for talksport – don’t get me started – 24 hours is a lot of radio to be filled……

I’m glad some people have mentioned the traditions of our club. I was talking with my mate at the Man U game about the same thing. With all the piped music and everyone turning up in their cars from Essex at five minutes to four on a Sunday afternoon, we were discussing what it was like when we first started to go to Upton Park many many years ago, meet up in the pie and mash shop, jump on the bus down to the ground and join in with the singing before the game, running round the terraces trying to find a good spot, the atmosphere building before the teams come out… you all know what it was like. My point is that it’s not like that anymore, it wasn’t like that when Terry Brown was in charge with the remnants of the Hills and Cearns family selling off all our academy players, the fact is, if mega rich arabs want to buy West Ham United they would be foolish to stop the club from producing top quality young players, it’s probably what we’re famous for all over the world. I think that if very very rich people wanted to but a club and take them to the level of the ‘big four’ we are one of very few clubs that would be attractive, precisely for our history ad tradition. The takeovers at Man U and Liverpool have not changed their clubs tradition and history, the only takeover that has is at Chelsea and they didn’t really have much to change in the first place.

I think a mixture of the worlds best players and our home grow youngsters would take the premier league by the scruff of the neck and really shake things up. If our club had the resources of Liverpool or Man U then our academy players would not be tempted to leave.

On Zola going to Chelsea I can’t see it happening, remember when they tried to get him back from his local team after he left? He said he’d given his word and that was the end of it, he’s said he’s staying with us and that will be that. Not ruling it out in the future but maybe by then we’ll have as much money as they have and he wouldn’t be tempted anyway.

Change can be a good thing, let’s wait and see.

COYI!

oh and Hitler was only kind to some dogs, depending on their breeding 😛

I am in total agreement with the comments made by Biffo about the future of our club especially that a massive takeover does not have to mean the end of the acedemy. If anything, if done properly, it could surely strengthen it. I realise and respect that certain aspects of your past visits to UP were full of top memories, but we have to move with the times if we want to keep up. It does not mean we have to turn into Chelsea overnight, and as Biffo mentioned there is still a strong academy at Man Utd following a takeover that faced huge opposition when it was first suggested. How many Mancs are still opposed to their owners now?
As for Zola’s position following the sacking of Scholari, I said a few weeks ago that I felt and hoped his basic principles would not allow him to go back on his promise when he joined to make us successful, and I do not feel he will leave us in the lurch at such an early stage. If he is approached and decides to stay, he will go even higher in all our estimations. If he truly feels at home at West Ham, he’ll stay. I honestly don’t know if Clarke would go back if asked, but he too is playing a massive part in what has been a huge improvement in a very short space of time. I personally feel it has been many years since I have been so confident of us picking up consistent results against the top teams. We are on a roll and it must continue. My money is on them staying. Just hope I’m not being deluded! COYI

Biffo, Hammer Ray – Yeah, I too second that. Moving with the times does not mean losing sight of who we are and what we stand for. And good news about GZ commitment. I’m sure he speaks for Clarkey too.

Zola + Clarke = succsess as you said Matt they are a team.
If we loose either we would be having to start again and anyway keeping them both proper rubs the chelski fans up the wrong way I can’t get one reply on any of the texes I’ve sent lol

Oh god i hope this is true!!!!!
Tradition…lovely thing
Development of youth…..fantastic ideal
And what has it won us over the past 30 years?????
BUGGER ALL!!!
If we are going to get into bed with a money machine then DIC are the best bet – just look at the investment they have made in racing. These are no Roman Abramovitch of Abu Dabi types looking for a little fun with their pocket money, DIC are an honestly run, financialy astute business machine that would be looking long term to grow the West Ham name around the world. They may not guarentee seccess, but they would ensure financial stability and long term growth and development.
Oh god i hop it’s true!!!

There is one small fact here that people seem to be forgetting! It’s not ONLY Zolas or Clarkes choice! They are both under contract and in the words of the great traitor nob – Harry Redknapp, if they don’t wanna sell them, that’s the end of it! Simple as!

I know managers do leave mid-contract but it all depends how much the West Ham board want to keep him!

It doesn’t really matter if Chelsea offer Zola £50 Million! If West Ham say no, then it’s no! Zola will NOT leave West Ham against their wishes! No amount of money or desire would make him do that! It would cost him his reputation and a lot of money! And he is just not that kinda bloke anyway!

Claretandbluepoo, I owuld like to believe them too! But I just can’t do it! lol

This is from Yahoo!

“Guus Hiddink’s agent reckons the Dutchman would turn down any approach from Chelsea for him to become their next manager.

Hiddink is the bookmakers’ favourite to become the next manager at Stamford Bridge, following Monday afternoon’s sacking of Luiz Felipe Scolari.

However, Cees van Newenhausen believes the attraction of his current job as Russia manager means he will reject the Stamford Bridge club, should they approach him.

Russia have made a good start in their bid to qualify for next summer’s World Cup in South Africa, lying four points behind Group Four leaders Germany – with a game in hand.

And van Newenhausen, asked about the appeal of the Chelsea job to Hiddink, told BBC Radio Five Live: “I cannot imagine it.

“I think there is no chance of him going to Chelsea because he very much enjoys what he’s doing.

“He is doing pretty well with Russia and wants to get to the World Cup in South Africa for the fourth time in a row, with a fourth different team.

“He’s currently at a training camp in Turkey and I think (Chelsea owner) Roman Abramovich would not make too many friends in Russia if he were to steal a goose away from the national team. I can hardly imagine it.”

Hiddink himself would not discuss the matter following Monday’s training session in Belek, claiming to be focused solely on events at the training camp.”

Hiddinks Agent is making out Hiddink is gonna be hard to get so he gets a hard to refuse offer, thus better commision, i reckon, or maybe i’ve just become to cynical & agents can sometimes be honest, yeah bulls testicles!

Look, if ever there was a time for Bjorgy to sell the club it’s now. We are playing excellent footy at the moment, the club’s new management is showing greatness from Nani’s ability to sign top young talent, to Zola and Clarke’s ability to inspire and coach this team to greatness, to many of our young stars recently being locked down to longterm contracts. If he’s going to sell now is the time.

I would love to see billions of dollars behind Zola, Clarke, Nani and co. but only if they are allowed to finish what they started. The new owner can fire Duxbury if they’d like for the Tevez scandal, I’ll applaud that, but everyone else must stay and have freedom to continue the job.

That being said, I’ll be glad to have the billions to keep our young boys together for the first time in my life and tell Mancs, Chelsea, Arsenal, etc to bugger off. I sware if I see one more great young team sold off I will throw myself down a flight of stairs.

We deserve to win cups and titles. If ever a group of fans deserved it, it’s us. Look at those coont Chelsi fans. They turn their backs on the club the first time they lose a couple points. We stick with our Hammers through everything. It’s our time for once. Screw Manchester United, I want West Ham to win 7 titles in 10 years.

Takeover rumours could have a grain of truth. There is rivalry between the two major Emirates. For example, when Dubai announced that they had the world’s largest flag and tallest flagpole Abu Dhabi weren’t happy, so sometime later they announced they now world’s largest flag. One caveat is that Dubai, though full of glitz, do not have any oil wealth and they are rumoured to be broke. All their loan repayments have had to be guaranteed by Abu Dhabi! Although I can see Dubai wanting to emulate Abu Dhabi and buy a middling type of club I wonder whether the financial input will be as large as some imagine.

Iain, i feel there is an element of truth in this takeover, i heard the rumour about the Savvio deal a few weeks ago, i just hope it doesnt unsettle the current management structure within the club or the team ! Im not sure if i would be happy or not as we look like we only need a decent center forward and the team would be complete !

Maybe the takeover is gonna happen and these DIG guys want Moruinho as new manager lol Seriously why was he at the game, i know he was watching Man U but that was on telly!

And there is a huge difference between an investment group and a rich guy looking for a toy, id much rather have a busy investment group own us and let the board and management run the club then an abramovic who thinks he can be manager!

Well if the takeover goes ahead we will at least have a very tall flagpole. Brilliant!
On a different point, there seems to have been an influx of Roys on the site recently. I used to post as Roy but changed to Roymondo to keep it different. We’ve also got Woodford Roy and Royski and now another Roy turns up. I never knew there were so many of us called Roy. Perhaps Roy, above, can give himself another monicker as one dodgy comment could give us all a bad name!
Max Clifford and the Iranian Car Dealer? no thanks.

I hear what you’re saying fellas but Kia just wants to legitimise the transferring of the players that he owns to other EPL clubs at massive profits. Our academy players would make way for his lads to play for 6-12 months then move on. No issues with DIG – Just Joorabchian.

GFZ …a good bloke with many qualities to obviously include integrity & honesty. He is tactically gifted with sound & principled leadership ability & bags of astute manners when surrounded by an ocean of leeching gits.

Sir, I thank and applaud you for sharing the joy that is West Ham with us.

If he’s like that when surrounded by an ocean of leeching gits Keith R – Just imagine what he’s going to acheive at the loud, pround and mighty West Ham Utd – where we value the attributes you’ve listed?

Raymondo, none taken. Maybe this site, as other sites do, could tell a new member if their chosen user name is ok. There must be thousands of Roys supporting WH. I’ve got two who sit immediately behind me at UP. You’re not one of them are you?

Roy – I sit in the Doc Martens Upper. 5 rows from the front, towards the Centenary end. I don’t know the names of the guys in front of me so I would guess it’s not you as you would probably not know my name.

Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh they can have ancelotti in the summer if that is the case!! I don’t believe clarke will return to chelski unless it is him as a manager anyway, and zola would only consider it after a considerable amount of time as a manager… surely…

If our boards promises are kept as they have been so far, i don’t see why Zola would even want to leave himself. He’s got a great academy to work with and along with nani they are looking for good young talent… and also a team that i really didn’t believe in at the beginning of season. I remember saying Zola has the right idea but not the squad he would want (ie the players aren’t capable of playing his way) However with the improved fitness and the one on one training with individuals he certainly has changed our style of football and even players, eg. Cole and even collison, he was going to go on loan to peterbrough not long ago, and now he is playing a regular role. Long may it continue!! plus Behrami has been an absolute shiner, he obviously needed time to settle, and now he is one of our best players and is fully suited to the PL. Hasn’t he also won the most fouls in the whole league??

Iain, I have contacts loosely connected to the club and I have not heard much in the last week. Now the last time I saw this was just before the last takeover. Lets wait and see. I think the DAte of March 6th is important to put on the calendar. BG has, I think, to report to the Icelandic authorities regarding his holdings etc.
P.S. I thought Everyone played like Lions on the weekend. I actually thought i was watching old Champions League footbal. The movement and ingenuity was excellent.
I cannot however get over this feeling that we are Extremely weak up front. I know it was MAN U but i thought if we had Ashton fit up front with Cole, we may have actually won.

I suppose that a DIG takeover would appear to bring some financial security to the club but I have big problems with the people who are buying into English clubs. Very few seem to have a genuine interest in football and cannot understand the culture and the loyalty of the fans who are, if not financial shareholders, moral shareholders.
If you take the situation to the ultimate, every club will be owned by a foreign billionaire who will expect to get to the Champions League as a minimum achievement. That can only happen to four clubs (less if Platini gets his way) and three will still have to be relegated. This will leave a lot of discontented rich men who, in time, will then pull out leaving the gap between the “haves” and the “have nots” even bigger than it is now.
I’ve written before that football sold its soul a long time ago but now the grim reaper, with a barrow load of cash, is hovering near the corner flag.
As much as I love this game, and the club I support, I fear for the future.

The problem is with the recent TV deal that went through last week, Prem League Football is one of the few industries in the world with growth at the moment.

How do we know that the icelandics didn’t expect the same, after all their 3 year plan was 1st year – beat the drop. 2nd year finish 10th – achieved. 3rd year push on to 6th place – possible. I for one would love champions league for west ham but I don’t see it happening any time soon and more to the point it will not bother me if we don’t. I would settle for a good cup run every couple of years and a few decent scalps throughout the year … man u, liverpool, arsenal … etc … But most importantly playing good football. I will be honest, looking back avoiding relegation was one of the most exciting seasons I have seen both home & away … it bought us all together & every game I had butterflys and a nervous tension only a west ham fan would know … & POSSIBLY SECRETLY LOVE.

I always say after a loss that you need to lose a few and experience the lows, If you do not you do not appreciate the highs – it’s what makes winning better. Look at chelsea at the moment, their new fans haven’t been used to losing. They sit 2nd in the table & boo every week … to me thats shameful, especially if you look at the roots of the club and actually see where they came from & more importantly where they belong.

I’m not even going to be concerned for one minute that GZ and Clarkesy are leaving us anytime soon. Gav Hammer makes a point that i’ve always felt myself–being a hammer makes you appreciate the highs so much more. Booing for second place. HA!
It makes me proud that we hammers supporters are so much more grounded and loyal. Something i think GZ sees as well.

The mighty Chelski have got as mess on their hands. We on the other hand seem to have a smart business plan in our back pocket.

That relegation battle was incredible. I was never an avid fan until then, id often keep a track of the results but never watched every game and followed every player as i do now, but that relegation battle meant alot to me, it made me realise how important the club is to me. It’s a shame that the awesome acheievment is now overshadowed by Tevez thing. We wont be remembered in 10 years for escaping the jaws of relegation to spectaularly, just Tevez.

The days when a club like Burnley owned by Cyril Lord, owner of a chain of butchers, could win the league and a West Ham could compete in the transfer market and be owned by the Cearns family and our chairman Reg Pratt was a timber merchant are wholly and totally gone.
I agree with a lot of the comments about how it is not ideal for foreign owners to be involved and that is whether they are from USA, Russia or The Middle East but it is clear that the Premier League is moving towards an American model rather than a European type of club like Barcelona . At least the chances of an owner deciding to move his “franchise” to another city will not happen here.
For our team to survive and prosper in the 21st century it needs very strong financial backing. As much as we would all like it to be otherwise the club only belongs to us emotionally. It is not a democracy and we don’t have a say other than possibly by voting with our feet and then only we ourselves would suffer.

On a slightly different topic I do not deny that the 2006/7 season was exciting at the end. It is however surely the case that none of us would remember it all fondly had we lost 1-0 at Old Trafford. The previous relegation was bad enough.

Interestingly i wasnt much of a fan when we were last relegated, so i have no idea what its like. Obviously it is bad, but what would you liken it to?

My whole family apart from me and my Dad are Preston North End fans, we have a very famous ex Preston player in the family and they are from that partof the country, so my interest was obviously greatly increased coming up to that play off final lol So i can apreciate what it means to be in the premiership, but not the other way around.

Budgie- at the risk of appearing pedantic, it was Bob Lord the Burnley Butcher not Cyril Lord who sold carpets (“these are carpets you can afford – by Cyril Lord” – that was his TV ad).
And the franchise thing could happen and already has with Wimbledon / MK Dons. As more and more clubs lose their local identity through outside owners and players whose loyalty is to their wallet this will become closer to reality.

Roymondo- you have got me bang to rights with me mixing up my Bobs and Cyrils! Its my age.
Whilst you are right about Wimbledon/MK Dons you are hardly talking about a major club.

IODHammer – I dont want to over state this but my Dad was a supporter still attending games in his 92nd year and by chance I married a woman who had been taken to stand in the old Chicken Run by her uncle. Our son, now 22 was indoctrinated from birth. When we went down at Birmingham and also when we beat PNE at Cardiff tears were shed in our family. For grief and joy respectively

Budgie – If West Ham were franchised to another town, as MK Dons were, and another club turned up local to East Ham, as AFC Wimbledon did in South London (not that Wimbledon FC were ever as well supported as we have been) where do you think the vast majority of our fans would go to watch their footie?

Depends what you mean by another town. If our ground were moved to say Romford I doubt it would affect our crowd at all but no club in England of any substance have moved to another town in recent history as far as I can recall. I really do not count Wimbledon. I know they had fifteen minutes of fame but they were a non league club that grew big and then failed financially because they had a third rate ground and no real support.

This is completely off topic but i am wondering where is a good place to have a drink before the game? Im going on Sat and ive never managed to get there early enough to go for a beer first, just a mad dash around the shop for a shirt or two! And of course some mugs lol

hammeredcalv you really have opened a new world to me,i cant believe the amount of dicks you get on here it leaves me wondering what the true state of modern west ham fans are?i wonder if they enjoyed the sites of palermo like our good selves i wonder if many of them have ever been to upton park itself?anyway look out for’thegeneral’i seem to be ruffling a few feathers on different blogs on here..hilarious

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About Iain Dale

I'm a season ticket holder in the Dr Martens Lower and originally come from Saffron Walden in Essex, although I now live in Tunbridge Wells. By day I am a political writer and commentator for various media organisations including the Daily Telegraph, the BBC and Sky News. I am also publisher of the new monthly magazine called TOTAL POLITICS. I want this blog to be a mixture of gossip, humour, reporting and analysis - with the odd rant thrown in too. My other blog is a political one at http://iaindale.blogspot.com and if West Ham Till I Die attracts half as many readers as that, I'll be very happy.